All romantics know that the course of true love never did run smooth. But ten years ago, Bumble arrived on the dating scene with a distinctly different approach – it levelled the playing field by letting women make the first move. From first match to first date to wedding bells, The Wedding Edition brings you seven stories of Bumble success. We hope that celebrating these couples’ journeys inspires those of you searching for love, and reminds you that your special someone could be a mere swipe away!
Caroline & Daniel
Caroline moved to London in 2017 and had high hopes of meeting someone in the capital. ‘I had always thought I would meet a guy in a coffee shop, at the gym or at work – it is the big city after all!’
But after six months of London life, she still hadn’t met The One. So, finding herself tucked up alone in bed one Sunday evening, she downloaded Bumble – and found Dan. Caroline was intrigued by what she saw and, digging deeper, discovered Dan had all the qualities she’d been searching for – it helped that he was easy on the eye too. ‘I could tell from Dan’s profile that he was incredibly down to earth, kind, funny… and beautiful!’
Dan and Caroline matched and met up the very next day for drinks at a bar overlooking the River Thames in Greenwich. Cupid’s arrow did not delay, and that Monday, it was obvious to both of them that this was something special. ‘By Tuesday I had deleted the app…” says Caroline. ‘And the rest is history.’
The couple were married in April this year, a stone’s throw from where they met, in a relaxed, black-tie event. Their wedding theme had little nods to Caroline’s Cornish upbringing and Dan’s Turkish Cypriot heritage (and the couple also got lots of inspo from TWE, according to Caroline).
‘Dan was the first and only guy I matched with on Bumble – talk about efficient!’ says Caroline. ‘And we’re so grateful to Bumble for bringing us together.’
Hayley & James
Hayley had just emerged from ‘a very bad relationship’, and James had never had ‘a proper girlfriend’ when they matched on Bumble seven years ago. Glaswegian Hayley was in London for work having dinner with a girlfriend, and during their heart-to-heart about Hayley’s previous relationship, her friend suggested Bumble as, ‘the woman is in control’.
On the train back to Glasgow next day, Hayley matched with James who lived in Epsom. They chatted for the entire journey and James asked if he could take Hayley out. ‘I told him, there’s a bit of a problem,’ says Hayley. ‘I’m in Glasgow.’ So the couple spent the next few weeks talking constantly until Hayley was next in London. Unfortunately, Hayley was late for their first date. ‘I met the same girlfriend for a drink prior (some Dutch courage!), ended up losing track of time and was almost an hour late.’
Luckily, James waited, and their first date lasted until 3am ending up at the American Bar in the Savoy. The couple did long-distance for six months until Hayley found a job in London, and in 2019, the couple bought a flat in Putney. Although happily settled, the adventurous couple continue to travel, and James proposed on safari in Kenya in January 2023.
‘Since being together we’ve travelled to 23 different countries – and our honeymoon is in Mexico later this year,’ Hayley shares.
The couple have planned their wedding party for August at Manoir Beaulieu, near Dordogne, and were married at Chelsea Town Hall last December.
Joe & Sarah
Joe was looking for a long-term relationship, and decided to join Bumble because he liked the idea of the women having to message first: ‘Clearly, my opening lines on other apps weren’t doing the trick!’ he laughs.
Ironically, Joe can’t recall what Sarah’s opening line was because it was one of her photos that sparked his interest. ‘It was the picture of her dressed as a box of Maltesers that really reeled me in!’ he confesses. The couple matched on Bumble three years ago towards the end of lockdown, and spent lots of time chatting about what restaurants they’d like to go to when restrictions were lifted.
But, says Joe, ‘When we were able to go on our first “real date”, finding somewhere decent with tables available for outdoor dining was like trying to get tickets for Glastonbury.’ The couple eventually managed to snaffle a spot at Fulham Beach Club. ‘I was pretty nervous on the journey over – and whilst waiting for Sarah to arrive,’ he admits. ‘But as soon as we met for the first time, I didn’t feel nervous anymore – we just seemed to click!’ Neither Joe nor Sarah had been in a serious relationship before, but they both knew from the early days of dating one another that they had found ‘their person’.
Fast forward three years, and the couple were married in April at St Lukes Church, Chelsea and hopped on vintage red buses to their reception at 100 Barrington in Brixton. ‘Without Bumble, we would never have found one another,’ says Joe. ‘So I’ll be forever grateful.’
Nishaa & Matt
Nishaa was on a Mamma Mia-inspired backpacking in Europe when she met husband Matt while working in a Budapest hostel. ‘I was in a single and ready to mingle mindset,’ says Nishaa. ‘In fact, I had just deleted my dating apps after one too many bad dates on another platform, literally the day before Matt arrived.’
But when ‘charming and funny’ Matt checked in to the hostel, Nisha felt a spark. Too nervous to talk to him, she turned to her phone. ‘I re-downloaded Bumble to have a snoop and see if he was on the app. He was – and we matched a couple of days later.’ The couple had a ‘mini-date’ at the hostel, and in the first step to winning Nishaa’s heart, Matt won the pub quiz she was hosting.
The next morning, they went on their real first date – a trip to the Gellért Baths and Budapest’s Great Market Hall. ‘Matt bought me lunch,’ says Nishaa, ‘and we shopped for souvenirs for our parents – aka, my future in-laws!’ When Matt left Budapest, the couple stayed in touch and ended up chasing each other around Europe in the months that followed. Their next date was in London when Nishaa was visiting her new university, and the following was in Portugal, ‘where we made things official. The rest is history!’
One lockdown later, the couple found themselves engaged and living in their first apartment in the British countryside. Nishaa and Matt were married in Devon in 2022.
Anna & Ben
Past relationships had left Anna deflated, so when her friend signed her up to Bumble as a birthday present, Anna wasn’t impressed.
‘It was the last thing I wanted,’ she admits. Then she matched with Benjamin, a Frenchman living in Balham, and although she enjoyed the initial conversations, Anna couldn’t face an actual date, ‘I was full of excuses to commit to meeting.’ At the time, Anna was also juggling the pressure of moving and changing jobs, but eventually agreed to ‘a quick drink’ at the local pub.
However, it went so well, Anna even shrugged off one of her pet hates. ‘I knew I liked him as I pretended I didn’t mind him smoking – something that quickly changed as we became more serious!’ After a whirlwind 18 months, the couple bought a flat together in Streatham Hill and, one week after moving in, Ben proposed. ‘He threw me off the scent by proposing in the living room,’ says Anna, ‘and we celebrated in one of our favourite restaurants in Brixton.’
The couple had a festival-style wedding in a field in Surrey, where Anna’s parents and grandparents were also married, and the occasion brought together the couple’s French and English families with a mix of traditions and new ideas. ‘It was so special that so many people were able to contribute with their talents and love,’ says Anna. The couple now have two children, Luca and Maeva and live in Godstone, Surrey. Says Anna, ‘I feel very lucky to have taken a chance on Bumble and to have found our happily ever after with our family of four.’
Francesca & Joe
In October 2018, Francesca had just returned from a wonderful holiday in sunny Miami. That Monday morning, stepping off the plane, she was feeling refreshed, relaxed and confident about life and love. ‘Fresh tan, fresh start,’ she laughs, ‘so I joined Bumble.’ Francesca started swiping and spotted a handsome man pictured with his dog. ‘I saw he liked animals – tick, bit of fresh air – tick and was slightly older, so I sent him a message.’
By Monday afternoon, the couple had exchanged around 25 messages and Joe asked when would be acceptable to ask for Francesca’s number. ‘I replied, “About three hours ago”.’ The next day, Francesca was back at work in her office in Hammersmith. To her surprise, Joe got in touch to ask her if she fancied a drink after work. ‘Joe lived outside of London,’ says Francesca, ‘but “coincidentally” he just “happened” to be in the area.’
The totally unprepared Francesca wasn’t dressed for a date – and didn’t have her makeup bag or perfume – so she had to borrow an assortment of cosmetics from colleagues, and the results weren’t promising. ‘I arrived at my date looking like a clown and smelling like a dead plant,’ she says.
But Joe clearly didn’t mind, and the couple sat drinking and chatting all night, ‘surrounded by the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen,’ says Francesca. Cut to 2022 and the couple threw a wonderful wedding at Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire with their sons, ‘surrounded by 90 of our nearest and dearest’.
Natalie & Paul
Natalie and Paul had both spent lockdown living alone – and this was the catalyst that made each of them realise they were ready for a relationship. They were thrilled to match on Bumble three years ago in November, but couldn’t meet immediately as fate had other plans: Paul was flying home to America to visit family.
‘He left the day after we matched!’ explains Natalie. ‘So we spent the first three weeks chatting on message and by phone.’ But when the couple did meet, all this long-distance communication paved the way for an instant connection in person. ‘We went for coffee and immediately felt at ease with each other,’ says Natalie.
The couple then decided to go on a ‘proper’ date – a walk on the wilds of Hampstead Heath. Paul went for a cold dip in the men’s pond and then the couple strolled to the Garden Gate pub for a cosy afternoon of mulled wine to warm up. The date ended up being seven hours long. ‘We both say that date was the moment we realised this was someone really special – we felt so comfortable that time just flew by,’ smiles Natalie.
Paul proposed on Hampstead Heath on Christmas Day 2023. ‘We both went for a Christmas Day cold plunge – it was so special to swim together as a newly engaged couple, in the place where we spent our first date,’ says Natalie. The happy couple are getting married in July at Marylebone Town Hall, with a reception at Brunswick House.
Photos by: Lucy Davenport
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